Anatomy

The Heart

It is the central motor organ. Through its rhythmic contractions, the heart ensures the movement of blood in pulmonary circulation (right auricle-left ventricle) and systemic circulation (left ventricle-right auricle). After being oxygenated in the lungs, the blood from the veins is pumped into the aorta, the longest and most voluminous artery, from which it supplies the entire organism.

The globular, rounded heart is located in the thoracic cage between the 4th and 7th ribs. It is greatly slanted from front to back, lying almost flat against the sternum. The heart weighs 15 to 20 g in the cat (0.4 to 0.8% its body weight).

Blood circulates thanks to the contraction of the ventricles and the presence of valves (tricuspid valve, mitral valve). The right side of the heart (right auricle) receives blood from the peripheral veins and sends this blood to the lungs after contraction of the right ventricle.

In the lungs, blood releases carbon dioxide (CO2) and recovers oxygen (O2). The left side of the heart (left auricle) receives oxygenated blood from the lungs and pumps it to the rest of the organism after contraction of the left ventricle, thanks to the aorta.

The Vascular System

The Lymphatic System

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